‎– John Renbourn Label:  ‎– TRA 135 Format: , LP, Album, Mono 
Country: Released: Genre: , ,  Style: ,  Tracklist A1Judy1:58A2Beth's Blues Written-By –  2:08A3Song Words By [Poem] –  1:59A4Down On The Barge1:58A5John Henry3:24A6Plainsong3:48A7Louisiana Blues Written-By –  3:02A8Blue Bones Guitar, Written-By –  4:42B1Train Tune2:39B2Candy Man Written-By –  3:21B3The Wildest Pig In Captivity2:08B4National Seven3:01B5Motherless Children3:29B6Winter Is Gone2:18B7Noah And Rabbit Guitar, Written-By –  2:50 Credits Arranged By – * (tracks: A5, B2, B5, B6) Photography [Cover], Design –  Producer –  Recorded By –  (tracks: A1, A5, A7 to B2, B5 to B7),  (tracks: A2 to A4, A6, B3, B4),  (tracks: A1, A5, A7 to B2, B5 to B7) Written-By – * (tracks: A1 to A4, A6, A8, B1, B3, B4, B7),  (tracks: A5, B2, B5, B6)

Review by Chris Nickson 

's famous phrase was that "I started out trying to play like , and I'm still trying." On this early outing, the first to appear under his own name, you can, perhaps, detect some of the influence on traditional blues like "John Henry" and "Candy Man." But as a player,  had already very much developed into his own man, imaginative and complete in technique -- listen to the bonus instrumental take of "Wildest Pig in Captivity" to hear his very assured brilliance. Also in evidence is his love of early music, such as "Song," whose lyrics come from a John Donne poem, or his own "Plainsong." He'd already met up with fellow guitar player , with whom he'd record and form , and together they wrote "Noah and Rabbit." While hardly the greatest singer, there's an appealingly earnest quality to his voice, although he sounds a little strained . As debuts go, you'd be hard pressed to find anything much better in the folk cauldron that was London in the mid-'60s. The genesis of a master.

Artist Biography by Sandra Brennan

Guitarist  is one of the fathers of contemporary British folk music and is one of the finest fingerstyle players in the world.  was a founder of the seminal group , and his music fuses British and Celtic folk with blues, jazz, British early music, classic guitar, and Eastern styles.

Born and raised in Torquay, England,  began playing guitar as a teen. At first he was into skiffle, a style that became popular as the a folk music revival was beginning. An instructional book, How to Play Guitar by Rory McEwen, introduced  to the music of many American folk artists and he began to research them. In 1964 he began studying classical guitar at the George Abbot School in Guildford. Two years later he was playing folk music in Soho, where he met many other musicians, including ,, and -- most importantly -- , a guitar player whom  greatly admired.  and  were roommates for a while; during impromptu sessions they noticed how much in sync they were and how easy it was to play together. Both men had fledgling recording careers at the time. performed on 's second album and afterward they teamed up formally to record .

In 1967 the two founded  and remained together through 1978. , as with the other group members, continued to release such solo albums as  and. He formed  in the '80s and began adding an East Indian percussion and jazz woodwinds to his music. Around the mid-'80s, he teamed up with guitarist  and embarked upon a series of world tours. The two also recorded a few albums before  went on to found the ensemble and play music with a stronger Celtic influence. He continues to tour alone and with other guitarists including, , and . He also occasionally reunites with  and sometimes tours with Scottish storyteller .

Strictly Graded - RECORD COLLECTOR Grading System.

Grading System: In order to assist everyone who buys and sells rare discs, Record Collector magazine has originated a set of standards for the condition of second-hand records, I have added a (+) or (-) to my gradings where applicable.

 

MINT: The record itself is in brand new condition with no surface marks or deterioration in sound quality. The cover and any extra items such as the lyric sheet, booklet or poster are in perfect condition. Records advertised as Sealed or Unplayed should be Mint. 

EXCELLENT: The record shows some signs of having been played, but there is very little lessening in sound quality. The cover and packaging might have slight wear and/or creasing. 

VERY GOOD: The record has obviously been played many times, but displays no major deterioration in sound quality, despite noticeable surface marks and the occasional light scratch. Normal wear and tear on the cover or extra items, without any major defects, is acceptable.

GOOD: The record has been played so much that the sound quality has noticeably deteriorated, perhaps with some distortion and mild scratches. The cover and contents suffer from folding, scuffing of edges, spine splits, discoloration, etc.

FAIR: The record is still just playable but has not been cared for properly and displays considerable surface noise; it may even jump.

The cover and contents will be torn, stained and/or defaced.

POOR: The record will not play properly due to scratches, bad surface noise, etc. The cover and contents will be badly damaged or partly missing.

BAD: The record is unplayable or might even be broken, and is only of use as a collection-filler.